Self-oiling trolley-wheel.



PATENTED DEG. 27, 1904; E. D. MODONALD.

SEEE OILENG TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8, 1903.

UNTTED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OEETCE.

ELIJ AH D. McDONALD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTI-I TO LAURIN DEVEY CLARK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SELF-OILING TROLLEY-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,793, dated December 27, 1904.

Application filed December 8, 1903. Serial No. 184,2'71

Tn rr/Z whom, it party concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH D. MoDoNALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Self-Oiling Trolley-VVheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel construction of a trolley wheel and harp which provides for a supply of oil being carried bythe harp and automatically fed to the axle; and the main object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is of simple and economical construction and effective and durable in use.

Another object is to provide a novel means for conserving the oil and repeatedly using' it through the e'ects successively of centrifugal force and the force of gravity. In this connection I provide a tubular axle or axle-pin having ducts for the inflow and outflow of oil into and from the inside of the axle-pin, and I provide a trolley-wheel, with reservoirs carried thereby and rotating therewith and connected by means of one or more ducts,- to receive oil from and to return it to the interior or to the exterior thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the device willappear in the following description.

Referring to the drawings, FigureI is a section on line I I of Fig. II. Fig'. II is a section on line II II of Fig. I. Fig. III is a side elevation of the device, part being a section on line III III of Fig. I. Fig. IV is a perspective of a bearing-block. Fig. V is a perspective of a bearing-block spring. Fig. VI is a side elevation showing a form of detachable oil-box. Fig. VII is a partly-sectional view on line VII VII, Fig. VI.

l designates the harp having a shank 2 for attachment to the trolley-pole. An oil-box 3 is formed in one cheek of the harp.

4 is a tubular axle-pin for the trolley-wheel and one end of the axle-pin has a closed head slotted for a screw-driver, which is held in a boss G on the harp-cheek. The other end of the axle-pin A is closed by a capped plug 7, which is screwed into the end of the axlepin and is preferably slotted for a screwdriver, as shown. The pin I has an oil-inlet 50 8 through its wall which opens into the oilbox 3 and is also provided with distributing oil-ducts 9.

The trolley-wheel comprises a cupped hub IO, from which radiate arms l1, which sup- 55 port a rim I2, the latter having an inclined annular flange I3 on one side. A grooved tire I4, V-shaped in cross-section, encircles the rim I2 and is held in place thereon and against the flange 13 by screws l5. This allows the removal of a worn tire and a substitution of a new tire without the expense of renewing the entire trolley-wheel when worn.

16 designates bearing-blocks, preferably of lignum-vitae, which are mounted within the hub l0 on the axle-pin 4 and which are held in place by a plate 17, which closes the hub IO, being' fastened by screws I8, which take into the arms l1. Each bearing-block has pockets I9, which communicate by ducts 20 with the concave bearing-surface of the bearing-block. The bearing-blocks are pressed against the pin 4 by curved sheet-springs 2l, as shown in Fig. II.

The axle-pin 4 is removably held in place by pins 22.

The oil-box 3 is lilled with waste or other loose packing 24 and is provided with a screwplug 23, which may be removed for the introduction of oil. The axle-pin lis likewise filled with packing 25, and the pockets I9 are also filled with packing' Q6. As the oil-box 3 is filled the oil Works through the passage 8 into the axle-pin A: and percolates through the packing therein and by capillary attraction works through the ducts 9 to the outer surface of the axle-pin, and as the bearing-blocks work on the axle-pin they distribute the oil, so that perfect lubrication is promoted. Oil is also sucked up by the waste in the pockets 19 from the axle-pin, assisted by the centrifugal force. The pockets 19 thus become celllike reservoirs, which extend longitudinally of the blocks and are circumferentially located around the axle in such manner that one or more of them Will be in position to,permit oil -the trolley-wheel is rotating or not.

to escape by g'ravity onto the axle as soon as the wheel stops rotating'. As soon as the trolley stops rotating oil from the pockets 19 percolates to the axle-pin beth by gravity and capillary attraction. Thus there is a constant lubrication of the bearing-surfaces whether lVith the high velocity which the wheel has when rotating centrifugal force acting on the oil quickly fills the pockets 19 full, and when the wheel stops rotating the oil slowly seeps back through the ducts 20 onto the axle-pin. The capillarity ofthe packing in the pockets 19 and the smallness of the ducts Q() cause a very much slower rate of flow of the oil in working back onto the axle-pin under the action of gravity than when it is working out under centrifugal action, and the flow is gradual and steady, so that flooding ofl the axle-pin with oil, which would result if the oil were merely confined around the axle-pin in a hollow hub of the wheel, is avoided. This is a very important feature, as the oil is thus conserved and made to perform its ofHce of lubrication in the most effective and economical manner. 1t is obvious that the packing in the pockets could be dispensed with and that the small ducts would restrict the backward fiow of oil to the axle-pin and accomplish the same end to a slightly less degree; but 1 prefer to emply the packing, as its retarding effect on the backward flow greatly promotes the even steady flow which is so desirable.

A preferred construction of the oil-box is shown in Figs. Vl and VH, in which 30 designates the oil-box, having a ledge 31, which may be fastened to the harp by screws 32. An oil-duct 33 is drilled through the cheek of' the harp, bringing the space within the oil-box 30 into communication with the interior of the hollow pin. The box is constructed quite thin, as shown, and may extend the length of the harp-cheek, so that its capacity will be as great as possible. One oil-box maybe arranged on each cheek, as shown, and as they are thin, being little thicker than the harpcheeks, they do not project sufficiently to cause any annoyance. Moreover, they give a much neater appearance to the pole than where thc box is cast integral with the pole, as shown in Fig. I. The advantage of' the form just described is that the box may be attached to any ordinary trolley-pole without requiring any material alterations of the pole or trolley.

What I claim is- 1. Vlu combination,a harp havin g an oil-box, a tubular axle-pin in the harp and communieating with the oil-box, a trolley-wheel on the pin provided with a plurality ofl reservoirs, each reservoir com municating through a small duct with the pin, whereby when the wheel is rotating oil is forced into the reservoirs by centrifugal action, but works its way slowly and gradually back to the pin when the wheel is substantially at rest.

2. In combination,aharp having an oil-box, a tubular axle-pin in the harp and having a passage which communicates with the oil-box, the axle-pin having a series of oil-ducts, a trolley-wheel comprising a cupped center portion, a pair ofl bearing-blocks in the cupped portion, resilient means for pressing the bearing-blocks against the axle-pin, the bearingblocks having' pockets and ducts which lead froml the pockets to the bearing-surface, and a plate confining the bearing-blocks.

3. ln combination,a harp having an oil-box, a tubular axle-pin in the harp and in communication with said box, a removable plug in one end of the axle-pin, the axle-pin having perforations intermediate its ends, a trolleywheel on the pin having a recessed hub, bearing-blocks in the recess and in yielding engagement with the pin, each block being provided with an oil-reservoir adapted to be placed in intermittent communication with the perforations in the pin, and packing' material placed respectively in the pin, in the oil-box and in each of' the reservoirs.

L1. ln combination, a harp, a trolley-wheel, a bearing-block having a concave bearingsurf'ace, and having a pair of pockets extending parallel therewith, and having' oil-ducts which extend from the pockets to the bearing-face, and suitable packing in the pockets.

5. In combination a wheel having' a cupped hub, a tubular axle-pin, a pair of' bearing'- blocks within the hub, and a pair of' curved sheet-springs within the hub respectively pressing the respective bearing-blocks aga-inst the .tubular axle-pin.

In testimony whereof' l have si gned my name to this specification, in the presence ofitwo subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles,California, this 19th day of November', 1903.

ELIJAH D. MCDONALD.

Vitnesscs:

Grieken T. HAeKLnY, JULIA TowNsnND.

IUO 

